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| The Tenth Dubrovnik International Conference on the Sanskrit Epics and PurÄṇas discussed, as in the previous conferences, many aspects of current research on the Sanskrit epics and PurÄṇas: critical editing of texts, composition, literary techniques, history of texts, chronology, intertextuality, historical context, religious and mythological contents, relationship of texts to the earlier Vedic and later Tantric texts, the contemporary importance of this tradition, etc. The participants of the conference presented their current work and research in the field of the Sanskrit Epics and PurÄṇas. There were specialists in all genres of Ancient Indian epic texts, and the exchange of information on their research and results was be beneficent to future work in the field. The special themes of the conference 2023 was    Literary genres in epic and PurÄṇic literature: Indian and Western categories.    Current work and research on the Sanskrit epics and PurÄṇas The Indian categories mantra and brÄhmaṇa, itihÄsa, ÄkhyÄna and purÄṇa applied to the Vedas, the MahÄbhÄrata, the RÄmayaṇa and the PurÄṇas do not simply correspond to Western categories such as myth, lawbook, epic, heroic or hieratic poetry, mythology, etc., but imply some special shades of meaning. However, the Western categories may in some respects be quite useful in the theoretic discourse on Indian works, and in some cases the Indian categories may shed light on the nature of some Western works, from the Illiad, Odyssey or the Theogonia, to more recent works, which may not have been ideally categorized in their own tradition. Comparative study of the Indian and Western works and of different traditions of poetics may show that one understands any culture better in a broader framework, in comparison with other cultures, than remaining closed in the limits of a single culture. This special theme did not prevent the participants from reporting on their research on other topics. |
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